title: Self-organized and cu-coordinated surface linear polymerization.
abstract: We demonstrate a controllable surface-coordinated linear polymerization of long-chain poly(phenylacetylenyl)s that are self-organized into a "circuit-board" pattern on a Cu(100) surface. Scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/S) corroborated by ab initio calculations, reveals the atomistic details of the molecular structure, and provides a clear signature of electronic and vibrational properties of the poly(phenylacetylene)s chains. Notably, the polymerization reaction is confined epitaxially to the copper lattice, despite a large strain along the polymerized chain that subsequently renders it metallic. Polymerization and depolymerization reactions can be controlled locally at the nanoscale by using a charged metal tip. This control demonstrates the possibility of precisely accessing and controlling conjugated chain-growth polymerization at low temperature. This finding may lead to the bottom-up design and realization of sophisticated architectures for molecular nano-devices.
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jonathan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Owens
authors.forename: Chengbo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Bobby G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Sumpter
authors.forename: Wenchang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bernholc
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Meunier
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maksymovych
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fuentes-Cabrera
authors.forename: Minghu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pan